New Game

Welcome, Puppeteer. You have been assigned to a being called "The Batter." The Batter has an important mission. Be sure that it is accomplished. ------------ M!A Status: Pure (N/A) ------------ [RP Blog for the Puppeteer (OFF)]

[platinumpurifier]

Visitation

[platinumpurifier]

At the touch of the Puppeteer’s hand, the purifier could not help but lean slightly into it. King or not, he had missed this contact. It took effort for him to resist reaching out for her, instead the man lifting his own hand to rest over top of hers. Later. For now he was content with this.

“Thank you. You look beautiful.” He lifted her hand, bringing it to his lips for a chaste kiss. For a brief moment it almost looked like there was a smile on his face, but he quickly turn his head, gaze moving back to the structure before them.

“Yes. I have accomplished what I have set out to do. Everything is in order; I can show you it all.” The monarch held her hand in his, beginning to step towards the cathedral. There was much he wanted to show her.

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

There was a pleased air about her. A sort of subdued giddiness at the response she had earned, knowing that inkling of a smile was rare and fleeting. Nothing short of being reserved for her eyes only. And there was much more that had yet to be seen, if the sheer size of the structure before them hadn’t been enough of an indicator. She would let him lead her there, hand in hand the entire time.

“Is it everything you had hoped for?...Well, I suppose you wouldn’t have called if it were anything but.” She scoffed under her breath, mainly at herself, though it did nothing to deter her from making small talk as they ascended the stairs, if only to fill the air with the sound of something other than their footsteps.

“How is Hugo?” She asked. “Has he adjusted to the change well?”

[platinumpurifier]

Visitation

[platinumpurifier]

Though there came no imminent response to his call, the purifier did not turn to leave– he would wait. Though it seemed unlikely that such a call could be heard by someone who was not even there, the King had faith. What others might question, he would not. She surely should have heard him, they could not have fallen that far from each other.

And they had not.

At the Puppeteer’s appearance, the purity perked up, his gaze (shadowed not by his hat for once, or any head wear for that matter) turned to her, taking her in. She was as he remembered; just as radiant and full of purity as she’d ever been. His own appearance was only slightly altered, the monarch keeping with his pinstripes. He wore his bat attached at his hip, but otherwise the other changes to his attire included that of fingerless gloves and cleated boots.

The cathedral that rested behind him was large, stationed at the top of a flight of stairs. The once purple sky looming above them was now a much more acceptable hue of white and gray. The area was clean. Any previous rubble the Puppeteer had seen on her last visit had been cleared away.

He moved to meet her, keeping himself collected and regal. He wanted to be at his best for her.

“More so… searching.” He came to a pause before her, his voice calm. His expression was stoic as ever, but there seemed to be something small burning in his eyes. “..Welcome.”

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

The minuscule details don’t go unnoticed, giving him as much of a once-over as she did their surroundings once they were face-to-face. Even now when he presented himself in such a dignified manner, she could not keep a hand from rising to his cheek in a familiar gesture.

“You look well,” She notes with a smile. Frozen or not, any time outside of the cycle could do wonders. Especially once the cycle had finally reached completion.

“I see things have been progressed nicely here,” Looking past him towards the cathedral she recalls why he had been searching in the first place. They had talked about it after all. “Have you completed it then? I would be honored if you could lead me through the haven you’ve made.”

[platinumpurifier]

Visitation

It had been some time.

Time since.. everything. His Kingdom was structured, his son was tucked away safely in his palace-like cathedral. The purifier had kept himself busy, however, as he made preparations and decisions. There were still things that needed done, of course. The Secretaries needed taken care of, and the land outside of the fourth Zone still needed dealt with. Yet he felt proud of his accomplishments so far. He had taken the right steps for his new beginning. He had his firm foundation, it was time he could begin his action.

Time had passed, but it did not feel like it had. What was time in this world but a frozen concept? The days of waiting for completion of his mission were over; he had all the time in the world to do as he pleased. However. There was one instance in which it felt as if time still existed, and it gnawed at him. Time existed as an absence. An absence of a presence.

How long had it been since he last saw her? The Puppeteer. The paragon. His friend.

The monarch thought on this as he walked through his halls, his stride long but collected as he moved though the foyer and out the front doors. It had been long, too long since he last saw her. Touched her. Held her. When they last spoke she had given him his son back, and he said he would alert her when he had everything together. But as that moment has now come, he was at a loss on how to contact her.

They were no longer connected to one another. She was a Puppeteer, she had other puppets and files to look over now that his was pure. It would take guess work to find her if he were to go looking now, no yellow brick road to follow. Yet a part of him still hoped despite the time they had been apart, they still shared some sort of connection to one another. Perhaps that was why he still called out:

“..Dorothy?”

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

The name would echo off into silence, and it would be no surprise that there came no reply. No one else was there aside from whatever inhabitants he kept within his own halls. It was a puzzle though. How could he be expected to reach out to someone who was, relatively speaking, out of reach? By all means it seemed futile to hope there was still something there.

At least until her arrival spoke otherwise.

Her presence was light, like a drop of rain rippling a still surface. Whether she truly had heard him or it was mere intuition on her part hardly mattered when her silhouette could be seen approaching the grand structure he had created. And what a grand structure it was, a far cry from the bits of rubble that sat in heaps before.

There was no rush, evidenced by her calm and almost leisurely pace as she took a moment to admire the clean landscape, but she began to move with more purpose once she identified his figure by the front entrance. Regardless of whether he chose to stay where he was or meet her halfway, she would greet him warmly once he was within earshot.

“Were you waiting for me?”

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

That doesn't really answer whether you're real or not.

Are you asking if I am real, or are you asking if I think I am real? Because those are two different things. Regardless, I will simplify matters for you and answer both:

I do not care.

Suppose if I were to be enlightened with self-awareness. What would happen? Would it affect my purpose or my role in any way?

It wouldn't.

I would still be the same Puppeteer, playing the same game, over and over and over again. As long as I can find meaning in the task I have set myself upon, there is no reason to distract myself with such things. In fact, I'm fairly certain I would only waste away and drive myself mad if I constantly doubted and questioned my existence.

I am the Puppeteer. I am here, and I have a purpose.

That is all I need to know to carry on with my life.

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

If you can edit things where you live, wouldn't that mean you're not real?

I said I wondered if I could. My home is an extension of myself, but I’ve yet to try altering it in any significant way.

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

I wonder if I could tamper with the composition of my home to allow visitors.

[thegodforsakenparson-blog]

It feels

[thegodforsakenparson-blog]

You turn once you’re certain that it isn’t going to just liquefy when you divert your attention to her, offering her a smile.

"Ah, that is fine. I’d visit you, but I’m afraid I do not know which file you consider home, unfortunately. But, ah, things are alright. I recently fell ill, but I have since recovered to almost full health…" You trail off, glancing behind her briefly. It isn’t a hallucination— you don’t think— but there was a flicker of movement towards the palace and it simply surprised you. "How have you been, Mademoiselle?"

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

Nothing feels out of place when he trails off, either that or she paid little mind to it, but regardless she nods in understanding. "That is good to hear. I'm glad you've recovered."

"I have been well, though I've had my hands full," She answers. "Until just recently I had been caring for a child that had been abducted from his file. You would not believe how tedious it was to force his captor to relinquish him...But yes, I had to care for him until his father reactivated their file. He is where he belongs now."

Tilting her head up she examines the tree. She knew what trees were, but she had never seen one quite like this. "How long did this take you to create? Its lovely."

[thegodforsakenparson-blog]

No, I bruised myself by falling off of something while sleeping. 

But yes, I was. The garden is almost finished— all I need to do is create more roses, ask for a blessing, and it will be complete and ready for you to view.

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

I see...

Ah, excellent. I'm looking forward to seeing it. You've been working diligently for a while now--I'm sure it will be a wonderful sight to behold.

[thegodforsakenparson-blog]

Well I’m not dying, if that’s what you’re asking.

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

Mm, that's good at least. I wouldn't necessarily jump to death, per say, but managing to bruise yourself by sleeping is mildly concerning.

Were you working on the gardens?

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

Would you like Scribe more if you knew your last Batter was tolerant of her?

"While that is an interesting little factoid, that has no relevance to the dynamic of our relationship."

"We are--or were, in her case--two of the same. We are akin to the multitudes of Batters, Zacharies, or any type of character in theory. The only reason we as players are unique is because we were never meant to be coded, and by extension, never meant to be the same."

"Scribe was the first player I met who stood in opposition to my ideals. And she was the first to openly express it. She questioned me, opening a discussion that we could debate back and forth. Scripted dialogues no longer wounded me or made me think twice about my actions, but she did."

"I am both repelled and drawn to her."

"No other being can influence these feelings. Only us, as beings who have shared the unique experience of playing our roles, have the right to stand on the same level and judge each other."

[pentothepages-blog]

Batter gave a long sigh laced with several volumes of frustration. “I’ll…attempt to be patient. Thank you, Puppeteer.” Her at least he seemed to listen to, even if she wasn’t his Puppeteer. 

Scribe gave a litttle ‘ehh’ hand wave. It was true being stubborn was one of ehr qualities, she couldn’t really deny that. 

Scribe wondered if she was going to say no and…well she was pleased when the Puppeteer said Yes “The door is always open for you, and I’m usually here to talk.”

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

With a nod she turned to see herself out. "I will be in touch."

Just as she took the trek through the maze to get there, she would take the trek again to leave. She would keep an ear open, on the off chance they resumed their "conversation" once they believed her to be gone, but she would give them the benefit of the doubt. Either way, their file would be one to keep an eye on, if only because it piqued her interest.

And the fact she was welcome here was...promising.

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

How do you feel about Scribe? Do you like her or not?

"I respect her, to a certain degree. Take that as you will."

[pentothepages-blog]

Scribe shot Batter a dirty look. “Sorry you heard that. We were arguing about the Queen. Batter is under the preconception I could lead him to her before the story starts- which I can’t.” 

Batter frowned. “Why? You and I are active she could possibly be too.”

"Yeah but she’s not. I’m Hugo’s babysitter, not a magical Queen tracker.” Scribe tossed her hands in the air, clearly tired of this argument. The other Puppeteer seemed to be making ‘ending this conversation’ motions which Scribe could respect, their conversations usually were pretty short, but…

"Will you come back?" Scribe asked without entirely knowing why she did. 

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

Unexpectedly, a low chuckle escaped the Puppeteer's lips, seeming amused by the topic of their spat. "Patience is a virtue, my dear Batter. If you have the patience to wait for your player to arrive, then you know you will meet with the Queen when the time is right. You will get nowhere bothering this one--her stubbornness outlasts the patience of even the greatest men."

And it was true. Scribe was stubborn as a mule. But she knew it was no insult to her. Part of her expected that the other woman took some pride in it.

When asked if she would return, she does not answer right away, a contemplative silence filling the air. Would she? Part of her had not anticipated the question.

"...I suppose." She finally nods. "Yes."

[pentothepages-blog]

Well that was insulting, but not unexpected. Scribe just shrugged. She didn’t really care if she was unnecessary in the other Puppeteers eyes. That was disappointing but the other Puppeteer was very single minded so Scribe decided not to take it to heart. 

"If you think about it, every extra npc, secret boss, extra item or ‘secret’ is unnecessary in any game. They’re treats for the players and additions to the flavor of the story. It doesn’t bother me and it’s preferable to being dead or insane." Scribe pointed out. The Batter had turned to study Scribe’s face, with hard eyes and a small frown. Oh crap the other Puppeteer had spilled her secret hadn’t she. Scribe sighed. That was not going to be a fun conversation. "Technically I exist as both now, it’s a little hard to explain." 

The Batter looked at the Puppeteeress in white and shook his head. “You’re not my Puppeteer. They’re coming soon enough.” He paused and seemed to be struggling to find his next words. “Th…Thank you? Thank you.” Once again thinking beyond the script was a new experience for him.” Perhaps another time.” He was vaguely aware of the concept of new blocks and new games, at least somewhere deep down. 

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

Disappointing. It would have been a unique opportunity to take Scribe on as an extra boss. If it could be considered a treat to free her from being restricted to this realm and purge her existence entirely, the Puppeteer supposed she would have to be inclined to agree with her reasoning.

"Understood." There was no need for her here, though it never hurt to ask. It would not do well to linger here longer than necessary, seeing how the likelihood of talking to the woman one-on-one was low.

"In that case, I hope I have not indadvertedly interrupted any preparations for their arrival, unless you two were bickering over something else." She had caught them in the act, hadn't she? "Your voices carried quite far. Unless I'm mistaken it is a rule to speak more quietly in a library, no?"

[pentothepages-blog]

Well Scribe hadn’t expected to be thanked for that compliment given their previous head-butting about their philosophies regarding playing the game, but she did smile back. Had she ever seen this Puppeteer smile before? Scribe wasn’t sure but…it was nice. 

Scribe fiddled with the wrist of her glove as the Puppeteer questioned her. They were all perfectly reasonable questions. She looked at the Batter as he stopped near the right of her with a look of mild interest on his normally stoic face. “Do you mind?” Scribe asked him and he just gave a small half shrug. “No.” The Batter looked at the Puppeteer in white. “Greetings.” And went silent again. 

The former Puppeteer in blue and black rubbed her forehead. “This is Zone Shiloh, the books here are the Akashic Record, recordings of individual stories of people in the Zones- mostly Elsen obviously. I am the Guardian of Stories.” She couldn’t really tell her how she wound up here while Batter was standing there, so she just sidestepped that part of the question. Scribe really wondered how she would take that, falling from Puppeteer, to almost-Queen, to now a Guardian. 

"It’s basically…." She furrowed her brow and snapped her fingers, trying to bring the words she needed to the forefront of her mind. "It’s like an expansion on the original game. Like Zackry from Unknown, or Alain and Jozlyn from Home. I’m not sure if you’ve run in to any of them but they’re around. As far as I know this game follows the exact same mission as the original- the only difference is my addition and the addition of Zone Shiloh- though I could be wrong because Batter here’s mission hasn’t started yet. I play a pretty similar role to Sugar as a secret boss but also as a helpful NPC. Ja- Batter here came in to being just a little while ago, we’re the only active characters right now."

Batter nodded to their visitor, confirming Scribe’s story. “I await my own Puppeteer.” 

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

The Puppeteer listened attentively as the other elaborated, her attention only diverted to spare a nod to acknowledge the Batter's greeting. It seemed straight-forward enough, yet the answers only begged for more questions. A frown began to form, and it had only deepened by the time the explanation came to an end.

She did not have any former knowledge of what these "expansions" were, and she was certain she'd never heard of any Jozlyn's or Alain's, but based off what she was told...

"So your relation to the game has been watered down to unnecessary," The Puppeteer bluntly deduced. "An unfortunate circumstance, though one could argue your existence had been unnecessary the moment you stepped down from your role as a Player."

Any sliver of hope that the two could have turned a new leaf and started anew was dwindling fast, now that the prospect of a new mission was at the forefront of her mind. She did not mince words for the sake of keeping the third party in the dark, to whom she now turned her attention to.

"I would not be opposed to stepping up to the task, if you would prefer to not be kept waiting."

[pentothepages-blog]

Scribe took her glasses off, clipping the earpiece to the neck of her dress. She had been expecting to run in to her sooner or later- and apparently Batter hadn’t deigned to tell her about Scribe’s reappearance- but she never worked out a good mental plan of how to deal with that. 

Though…stormed off? 

Scribe glanced to the side with a small frown as she dug through her memories trying to recall. Had they had a fight?

Oh, right. They had. The specifics escaped her but she remembered it, she hadn’t been feeling well and had been well in to the corruption and code-override. 

"Sorry." She said, not really sure what she was apologizing for, maybe for the fact they argued in the first place. "After that I had been-" She remembered that they had an audience. Scribe looked up and frowned at Batter who was just observing the two of them. She gave him a sharp ‘go away’ gesture, which he cheerfully ignored and just crossed his arms over his chest again and sneered at her. 

Her luck with Batters hadn’t changed much. 

Scribe sighed and walked to meet the Puppeteer in the middle, away from the tower and hopefully their voices wouldn’t carry up. “After that I had been working with Batter but I was almost ripped apart.” She explained quietly in a tone that clearly said she didn’t want the Batter up there to know. “He showed me around his Kingdom a little bit, Congratulations.” 

Batter on the other hand was curious now. He recognized the woman in white as a Puppeteer, so how did Scribe know her? He started meandering downstairs, not in any particular hurry. 

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

It felt odd receiving an apology. Whether it was due to being given with uncertainty or due to having not expected it could not be said for sure, but it was something at least...

Ah, so he had known already? She wondered for how long. There had been no need to really make mention of the fallen player as of late, so it made sense he wouldn't have mentioned it.

Either way, the Puppeteer smiles at the other's small praise. Even the slightest bit of recognition from her of all people was worth taking to heart. "Hm...Thank you."

It does not linger for long however as she spares another glance around the decadent archives., fading back to neutrality. "There is much you need to catch me up on. What this place is, what you are doing here, how you wound up here--"

Though she stops herself before she has the chance to begin drilling Scribe further, the way she briefly rises on the tips of her toes a sign she is looking back towards the stairs. "...Is this a new game?" She asks as she shifts her focus back to the former player. "Or is this some type of stagnant file?"

[pentothepages-blog]

Normally the Records were very quiet, with only occasionally the scribble of invisible pens inside books still being written, or the sound of its caretaker shuffling around, but today it was kind of noisy the closer one got to the center. Two voices were arguing, well one was arguing, the other was flat and speaking much more quietly. 

Scribe and Batter stood on the platform holding her desk, the once Puppeteer was much more agitated than the Batter, gesturing widely while he casually leaned his hip against her desk with his arms folded over his chest.  

"You’re not my King anymore, if you ever were. I don’t know where the Queen is, and I doubt I could find her for you even if I wanted to without the story running. I want you to leave now.” She demanded. He replied quietly and Scribe spun on her heel to storm away from him. The new Batters hand lashed out viper quick and pulled her back around by the wrist pulling her forearm to the side painfully against the natural movement of the joint. 

At about the same moment though, they both noticed the visitor walking in on their little altercation and looked down towards the doorway where she stood. 

Scribes breath hitched audibly and the Batter just stared impassively. “Let go.” She snatched her arm away from the Batter and hurried down the stairs of the platform until she stood at the base, stopping there. “Faith…-” Scribe mentally corrected herself, she didn’t actually have a name for this Puppeteer. “Hello.” She tried lamely instead. 

[loyaltyinpuppetryy]

Following the sounds of bickering drifting through the air, it did not take much longer for the Puppeteer to reach the center of the grand archives. Already it would seem things were to become complicated, though coming here she hardly expected for it to be any less.

The Records were a spectacle to behold, but the only spectacle she found herself focused on was the show going on up above. It appeared Scribe--or who she assumed to be Scribe--having a quarrel with a purifier. Some things seldom changed.

Even so, if the woman atop the platform with the flowing white hair and the blue accents on her features was the one she'd come to meet, it was clear Scribe had changed immensely since the last time she saw her. The Puppeteer was given the opportunity to examine her more closely as she raced down to meet her, she at the base of the stairs and her remaining in the doorway. The presence of the Batter was ignored for now as she stared the other down.

A curious tilt of the head was given as Scribe seemed to struggle with the words to greet her, but it was quickly dismissed.

"So you're still alive, Scribe..." She began to slowly cross the distance between them as she spoke. "What a pleasant surprise. I was wondering what happened to you after you stormed off that day."